


Prime Suspect

by celli



Category: NCIS, White Collar
Genre: BYOSubtext, Community: fandom_stocking, Crossover, Gen, Neal's hat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-06
Updated: 2010-01-06
Packaged: 2017-10-18 03:15:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/184392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celli/pseuds/celli
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The one where Gibbs interrogates Neal Caffrey.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Prime Suspect

**Author's Note:**

> Written for heatherly for the fandom_stocking challenge. Thanks to Caro, Kiki, lightgetsin, and shetiger for beta and cheerleading.

Gibbs and his mysterious, old-school, kick-ass abilities were legendary at NCIS, but nowhere was he more respected and admired (and a little feared) than when it came to his interrogations. It would never even occur to anyone that he might be outwitted by a suspect. And if it were to happen, certainly no one would dare to say so out loud.

And yet, there the entire team was, Abby, Ducky, and Jimmy included, shoving each other out of the way to get a better look through the observation window.

“The trail leads directly to you,” Gibbs was saying, and not so much as a hitch in his tone gave away that he was two steps from exploding. “You can dance around it all you want, but the contact with Private Geitner, the funds sent to his account, and the plane that took the artifacts back to New York can all be traced to you or your associates.”

“I don’t have associates,” Neal Caffrey said, his voice conversational and his eyes alight with humor. “I have friends, acquaintances, and the occasional significant other.” His gaze moved past Gibbs to the interrogation room window, and both Abby and Ziva breathed in audibly. “But I’m not in a line of work that requires associates. If someone told you they’re connected to me, then they’re mistaken.”

“Mistaken? _Mistaken_?” Gibbs said with enough forceful incredulity that his team involuntarily stepped back.

“Here it comes,” Tony muttered to Tim.

And then the door opened and Vance entered, followed closely by a man whose suit screamed FBI. Behind him was a stunningly beautiful woman who looked amused by the whole situation.

Abby’s eyes and mouth formed perfect O's. Tim was visibly holding his breath. Jimmy started to say “What i--" but Ziva and Tony reached out and whapped him on the back of the head at the same time, neither one taking their eyes off the window.

“Gibbs, this is FBI Agent Peter Burke. And...” Vance looked like he’d eaten a lemon. “...his wife, Elizabeth.”

“Nuh-uh,” Abby said.

“How can I help you, Agent Burke?” Gibbs asked in a voice that offered no cooperation in the slightest.

Agent Burke, possibly to his credit, didn’t look ruffled at all by the _I can kill you with my pinky_ attitude Gibbs was projecting. “Three things,” he said calmly. “One, give me my consultant; two, I want his ankle bracelet and the name of the guy who got it off him, so I can recruit him--"

Tony bumped shoulders with Tim, who grinned.

“And three, I need you to continue investigating this case as though Neal were still the prime suspect.”

“He’s not?” Gibbs asked.

“He’s undercover.”

“He didn’t mention that.”

Burke sighed. “He wouldn’t.”

Caffrey had worked his way around until he was at the end of the table closest to the door. “Elizabeth,” he said in a stage whisper, “they took my hat!”

“Your hat is not important,” Burke told him.

Both Caffrey and the wife stared at him like he was speaking a foreign language.

“It is a cool hat,” Tony said.

Ziva punched him in the arm.

Burke sighed. “And fourth,” he said wearily, “I need the hat back. Just as a personal favor, you understand--if I have to hear about it all the way back to New York, I’ll kill him, and then I’ll have to set up this whole operation again.”

Gibbs narrowed his eyes at Burke, and everyone in the observation room leaned forward in anticipation. Finally he stood up and held out his hand to shake Burke’s.

“I think we can work something out,” he said. He led Burke and Vance out of the room, leaving Caffrey and Elizabeth Burke staring at each other.

“Stop making my husband want to kill you,” she said.

“I didn’t do it on purpose!” Caffrey protested. He paused and grinned. “I will say, though, NCIS has some _very_ attractive employees, Elizabeth.”

“Mm. I’m sure they’d want to kill you, too, after a while,” she said. “Come on.” And she linked her arm in his as they exited.

The observation room door banged open, and everyone flinched.

“Done with the show?” Gibbs asked politely. “Or would you like to stay in here while the rest of the office does your jobs?”

“Best case ever,” Abby whispered to Tim as they bodychecked Tony out of the way to beat him out the door.

“I’m totally using it in a book,” he said.

“Do you think he’d tell me where he got his hat?” Tony mused behind them, then flinched as Gibbs nailed him on the back of the head. “Ow! Just asking!”


End file.
